Norborne Baseload Plant

The Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc. proposed a 660 megawatt (MW) merchant utility coal plant in 2005, quietly acquiring property in the desired area early that year before residents learned of the planned plant in Carroll County, Missouri.

A draft Environmental Impact Statement was released in 2007.

A public hearing held on Nov. 13, 2007, saw numerous groups expressing opposition to the plant.

On March 3, 2008, Associated Electric Cooperative announced that it was placing plans for the plant on hold. A company press release cited three factors for the decision:
 * "The Norborne project costs have significantly increased in less than three years and are now estimated at $2 billion due to worldwide demand for engineering, skilled labor, equipment and materials."
 * "The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Utilities Service, a traditional funding source for rural electric cooperatives, is currently unable to finance baseload generation for cooperatives. Although AECI’s AA credit rating is one of the strongest ratings among all electric utilities nationally, seeking private lending would further increase project costs."
 * "There also is increasing uncertainty in the regulatory environment, and Congress continues to debate the environmental and economic impact of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, making the cost of reducing carbon dioxide from power plants unknown."

The coop plans to pursue a combination of efficiency measures, wind power, and nuclear power.

Project Details
Sponsor: Associated Electric Cooperative Location: Norborne, Carroll County, MO Capacity: 660 MW Type: Supercritical pulverized coal Projected in service: 2012/2013 Status: Cancelled

Citizen Groups

 * Concerned Citizens of Carroll County, mail [at] c4assoc.org
 * Columbia Climate Change Coalition, monta [at] columbiaclimatechangecoalition.org
 * Missouri Sierra Club, Melissa Hope, melissa.hope [at] sierraclub.org
 * Missouri Coalition for the Environment, Erin Noble, enoble [at] moenviron.org

Related SourceWatch Articles

 * Rural Electric Cooperatives and Coal
 * Missouri and coal
 * United States and coal
 * Carbon Capture and Storage
 * Existing U.S. Coal Plants
 * US proposed coal plants (both active and cancelled)
 * Coal plants cancelled in 2007
 * Coal plants cancelled in 2008
 * State-by-state guide to information on coal in the United States (or click on the map)